More Than 700,000 Votes Expected In Alabama

More than 700,000 Alabama voters are expected at the polls Tuesday for the first election where voters will be required to show a photo ID.

More than 700,000 Alabama voters are expected at the polls Tuesday for the first election where voters will be required to show a photo ID.

Alabama's chief election official, Jim Bennett, is predicting that 25 percent to 27 percent of Alabama's 2.8 million registered voters will turn out for the primary election. That's down from 32 percent four years ago, when both parties had hotly contested races for governor.

This is the first election where voters have to show a photo ID. That can include a driver's license, non-driver ID, Alabama voter ID or passport.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Any primary races not decided on Tuesday will advance to a runoff July 15.

Related Content

The secretary of state's plan for implementing Alabama's photo ID requirement for voting includes making free ID cards available through mobile vans, county board of registrars' offices, and the state Department of Senior Services.

Secretary of State Jim Bennett issued his final rules Tuesday for implementing the law for the 2014 elections.

The law requires voters to show a photo ID, such as a driver's license, passport or student ID from a university. For those lacking photo IDs, Alabama plans to provide free photo IDs for voting at many locations.

A bitter war is erupting for control of the Alabama Statehouse and this time it is Republican versus Republican.

Republicans won a majority in the Alabama Legislature in 2010, but in 2014 many incumbents are facing primary party challenges.

Republican Senate leader Del Marsh called many of the challengers RINOs, or Republicans in name only. He said many were funded by the Alabama Education Association, which has often been at odds with current legislators.

Republican candidate for governor Stacy George says his state lottery proposal could produce up to $200 million annually to help five programs.

During a news conference Tuesday in Montgomery, George said he would divide the money between volunteer fire and rescue squads, technical college scholarships, voluntary pre-kindergarten, the state General Fund, and downtown revitalization projects. He says contracts for the revitalization would have to go to companies in the communities being served, which would generate jobs in each town.